American hostage in Somalia rescued in overnight raid: Thank You Navy Seals/Obama

[kidrocks]

Thank you Navy Seals for a job well done and thank you President Obama for issuing the order and thus unleashing American military might again!






World News - American hostage in Somalia rescued by US Navy SEALs in overnight raid

By Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News chief Pentagon correspondent

WASHINGTON -- In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News.

American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.

According to the U.S. officials, two teams of Navy SEALs landed by helicopter near the compound where the two hostages were being held. As the SEALS approached the compound on foot gunfire broke out, the U.S. officials said, and several of the militants were reportedly killed. There is no word that any of the Americans were wounded.

 

[kidrocks]

Bravo Mr President! Thank you for your courageous leadership as Commander in Chief. Hail to the Chief! Look for some Republicans (Tea-Baggers) to accuse President Obama of issuing an un-lawful order I predict.





MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia under cover of darkness early Wednesday and crept up to an outdoor camp where an American woman and Danish man were being held hostage. Soon, nine kidnappers were dead and both hostages were freed.

President Barack Obama authorized the mission by SEAL Team 6 two days earlier, deploying the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden last year. Minutes after the president gave his State of the Union address to Congress he was on the phone with the American's father to tell him his daughter was safe.

The Danish Refugee Council confirmed the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted, a Dane, were "on their way to be reunited with their families."

Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, were working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when gunmen kidnapped the two in October.

The raiders came in quickly, catching the guards as they were sleeping after having chewed the narcotic leaf qat for much of the evening, a pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told The Associated Press by phone. Hussein said he was not present at the site but had spoken with other pirates who were, and that they told him nine pirates had been killed in the raid and three were "taken away."

The hostage rescue was carried out by the same SEAL unit behind the operation in Pakistan last May that killed bin Laden, two U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. It was not clear if any members participated in both operations. The unit is the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team 6.

One official said that the team parachuted into the area before moving on foot to the target. The raid happened near the Somali town of Adado.

New intelligence emerged last week that Buchanan's health was "deteriorating rapidly," so Obama directed his security team to develop a rescue plan, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly. A Danish Refugee Council official, Mary Ann Olsen, said that Buchanan was "not that ill" but needed medicine.

"As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts," Obama said in a statement released by the White House. "The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice."

A Western official said the rescuers and the freed hostages flew by helicopter to a U.S. military base called Camp Lemonnier in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been released publicly. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited Camp Lemonnier just over a month ago. A key U.S. ally in this region, Djibouti has the only U.S. base in sub-Saharan Africa. It hosts the military's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

The timing of the raid may have been made more urgent by Buchanan's medical condition. The Danish Refugee Council had been trying to work with Somali elders to win the hostages' freedom but had found little success.

"One of the hostages has a disease that was very serious and that had to be solved," Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal told Denmark's TV2 channel. Soevndal did not provide any more details. Soevndal congratulated the Americans for the raid.

The Danish Refugee Council said both freed hostages are unharmed "and at a safe location." The group said in a separate statement that the two "are on their way to be reunited with their families."

Olsen informed Thisted's family of of the successful military operation and said "they were very happy and incredibly relieved that it is over." Olsen said the two freed hostages were in Djibouti and would soon be moved to a "safe haven." She said Buchanan does not need to be hospitalized.

"One of the first things Poul and Jessica were able to do was to call their families and say they were freed," Olsen said. "They will be reunited with their families as quickly as possible," Olsen said.

The head of the Danish Refugee Council, Andreas Kamm, said he would have preferred to see the two hostages freed peacefully after working with Somali groups to win the pair's freedom, "but we're happy with the outcome. This is a day of joy indeed."

The two aid workers appear to have been kidnapped by criminals — sometimes referred to as pirates — and not by Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. As large ships at sea have increased their defenses against pirate attacks, gangs have looked for other money making opportunities like land-based kidnappings.

The Danish Refugee Council had earlier enlisted traditional Somali elders and members of civil society to seek the release of the two hostages.

"We are really happy with the successful release of the innocents kidnapped by evildoers," said Mohamud Sahal, an elder in Galkayo town, by phone. "They were guests who were treated brutally. That was against Islam and our culture ... These men (pirates) have spoiled our good customs and culture, so Somalis should fight back."

Buchanan lived in neighboring Kenya before Somalia, and worked at a school in Nairobi called the Rosslyn Academy from 2007-09, said Rob Beyer, the dean of students. He described the American as quick to laugh and adventurous.

"There have been tears on and around the campus today," Beyer said. "She was well-loved by all her students."

Buchanan graduated in 2006 from Valley Forge Christian College, a small suburban Philadelphia school. The school's president, the Rev. Don Meyer, said Buchanan taught at Rosslyn as part of her studies and "fell in love with Africa."

"Ever since Jessica was captured, we all as a community have been praying for her safety and for her safe release," Meyer said. "We are also grateful that our prayers have been answered."

Buchanan and Thisted were seized in October from the portion of Galkayo town under the control of a government-allied clan militia. The aid agency has said that Somalis held demonstrations demanding the pair's quick release...

 

[Katzndogz]

obama ordered Americans to risk their lives so that he could give a good campaign speech.

 

[kidrocks]

obama ordered Americans to risk their lives so that he could give a good campaign speech.

How did you know?



President dropped hint before State of the Union address

Navy SEALs rescue US hostage in Somalia - Video on TODAY.com

 

[Claudette]

Kudo's to Barry for giving the order whatever his reasons were.

Kudos to Seal Team Six and the rest of the US Navy Seals for doing what they do best.

 

[kidrocks]

Kudo's to Barry for giving the order whatever his reasons were.

Kudos to Seal Team Six and the rest of the US Navy Seals for doing what they do best.

This is the lead story in the media and the tea-baggers are in a foul mood indeed.

 

[Dr.Drock]

Kudo's to Barry for giving the order whatever his reasons were.

Kudos to Seal Team Six and the rest of the US Navy Seals for doing what they do best.

This is the lead story in the media and the tea-baggers are in a foul mood indeed.

Good to know you don't give a shit about the lives saved, you only give a shit about having a story you try and attach partisan horse shit to.

 

[California Girl]

4 threads on the same topic. Some posters really need to learn to 'search' before launching their 'yay obama' tirades.

 

[kidrocks]

Kudo's to Barry for giving the order whatever his reasons were.

Kudos to Seal Team Six and the rest of the US Navy Seals for doing what they do best.

This is the lead story in the media and the tea-baggers are in a foul mood indeed.

Good to know you don't give a shit about the lives saved, you only give a shit about having a story you try and attach partisan horse shit to.

What the US Navy Seals accomplished in their rescue operation literally brought tears to my eyes.

Tears of pride and joy and yes, I'm overwhelmed with the positive response the story has recieved directed at our brave Navy Seal team. I will not apologize for the pride I have in my heart for our brave troops and President Obama.

 

[Dr.Drock]

This is the lead story in the media and the tea-baggers are in a foul mood indeed.

Good to know you don't give a shit about the lives saved, you only give a shit about having a story you try and attach partisan horse shit to.

What the US Navy Seals accomplished in their rescue operation literally brought tears to my eyes.

Tears of pride and joy and yes, I'm overwhelmed with the positive response the story has recieved directed at the our brave Navy Seal team. I will not apoligize for the pride I have in my heart for our brave troops and President Obama.

You don't have to apologize for that as that's not what you did in the post i responded to.

In the post i responded to, you were using this story to attack ppl solely for voting differently than you do. Sad.

 

[whitehall]

"American Military might"? Does the left even understand what American Military might means? It was a textbook example of a covert raid by a small highly trained unit. The last example of American Military might was the Troop Surge in Iraq and the leading democrat in the senate said the "war is lost" while the same left wingers who support Obama snickered about an ad that called the Commander "betray-us". You freaking hypocrites on the left were spitting at Veterans forty years ago.

 

[Sunni Man]

The man and woman should not have been there in the first place..

 

[kidrocks]

Good to know you don't give a shit about the lives saved, you only give a shit about having a story you try and attach partisan horse shit to.

What the US Navy Seals accomplished in their rescue operation literally brought tears to my eyes.

Tears of pride and joy and yes, I'm overwhelmed with the positive response the story has recieved directed at the our brave Navy Seal team. I will not apoligize for the pride I have in my heart for our brave troops and President Obama.

You don't have to apologize for that as that's not what you did in the post i responded to.

In the post i responded to, you were using this story to attack ppl solely for voting differently than you do. Sad.

I was responding to the shameless, cheap-shot, post below directed Obama and our US Navy Seal Team. Pay attention please.

Originally Posted by Katzndogzobama

obama ordered Americans to risk their lives so that he could give a good campaign speech.

 

[bodecea]

obama ordered Americans to risk their lives so that he could give a good campaign speech.

This is almost as disgusting as your comments about the woman reporter getting raped.


Are you sure you are an American? I really hope you are not. I'd hate to think there are Americans like you.

 

[Dr.Drock]

What the US Navy Seals accomplished in their rescue operation literally brought tears to my eyes.

Tears of pride and joy and yes, I'm overwhelmed with the positive response the story has recieved directed at the our brave Navy Seal team. I will not apoligize for the pride I have in my heart for our brave troops and President Obama.

You don't have to apologize for that as that's not what you did in the post i responded to.

In the post i responded to, you were using this story to attack ppl solely for voting differently than you do. Sad.

I was responding to the shameless, cheap-shot, post below directed Obama and our US Navy Seal Team. Pay attention please.

Originally Posted by Katzndogzobama

obama ordered Americans to risk their lives so that he could give a good campaign speech.

So you respond with a shamelss, cheap-shot, directed at people who vote differently than you do.

Had you just attacked Katz I'd understand, but you didn't, you disingenuously attached her one sentence to millions of people. Again, sad.

 

[kidrocks]

"American Military might"? Does the left even understand what American Military might means? It was a textbook example of a covert raid by a small highly trained unit. The last example of American Military might was the Troop Surge in Iraq and the leading democrat in the senate said the "war is lost" while the same left wingers who support Obama snickered about an ad that called the Commander "betray-us". You freaking hypocrites on the left were spitting at Veterans forty years ago.

I am truly offended with your convenient, misguided 'selective outrage'!

No need to downplay, dismiss, and belittle our brave Navy Seal rescue via your pathetic comparisons

 

[whitehall]

If we are going to sent American Troops all over the world on rescue missions we should charge foreign governments a fee for the service. In this case the do-gooder Danish government.

 

[kidrocks]

Daja Vu?

Seems to me President Obama was giving some speech to the American people while the Same Navy Seal team was killing Osama Bin Laden not to long ago. Anyone remember?

 

[kidrocks]

If we are going to sent American Troops all over the world on rescue missions we should charge foreign governments a fee for the service. In this case the do-gooder Danish government.

Ah... an advocate of capitalism raises it's opportunistic head. How very r-wing.

 

[High_Gravity]

obama ordered Americans to risk their lives so that he could give a good campaign speech.

What kind of thinking is this? would you rather he just let the hostages stay in Somali hands?